Life Can Be Tough But You Will Survive

I believe God has a plan for everyone! Lord knows there have been many times I should have died or gone crazy!   Everyone has gone through some tough times, some are worse than others and do take a while to bounce back from. Fate has a way to lead you to someone who can put you on the path to take a licking and keep on ticking! In two short years many angels landed on my shoulders!

In August 1966 I married Teresa Mainland, a beautiful blonde with big blue eyes on a Saturday so I wouldn't miss any work, after all I had a new bride to take care of. When I went to work on Monday morning beaming with pride, I announced to everyone I had gotten married. To my utmost surprise my supervisor fired me. When I ask why? His response was, "because you're too young to be married." Now with no job and a new wife, what do I do? I called my Father in Tampa Florida and told him what happened. He said, Mr. Marvin Mathis the owner to Tampa Bay Dental Laboratory needed a Crown and Bridge Apprentice. I called and spoke with Mr. Mathis and he hired me over the phone, he told me to start work as soon as I cold get there.

I had sold my old car, had enough money for one of us to ride the train or bus to Tampa. Just so happen a friend of mine mentioned he was taking his girlfriend, Olive to visit her grandmother in Tampa. I told him would give him the money if he would take us to my parents house, just so happened Olive's grandmother lived 4 blocks from my parents. We arrived on a Saturday and I road to work with Pop, Monday morning. Two weeks later we rented a 1 bedroom furnished upstairs apartment, 2 blocks from the laboratory from Mr. and Mrs. Pat Myers, they had 2 girls and a boy. We were so happy and were starting our lives together. Teresa got a job with the phone company and made friends with a girl close to us and she rode to work with her. We walked or road the bus as we didn't have a car yet. Life was great, Mr. Myers had been in an accident on his job with Standard Oil when a sign fell on his head, and could not stand light or loud noise. He turned me onto some positive motivation records and a book titled I CAN by Ben Sweetland. I read that book several times over the next three years.

We found out Teresa was pregnant and we were elated, I was hoping for a boy as I grew up with three younger sisters. About six weeks into the pregnancy Teresa became ill and we didn't have health insurance. Private doctors turned us down as after she got sick and lost her job I only made $52.00 after taxes a week. She got so bad she was finally admitted to Tampa General  Hospital, they did some test gave her some meds and sent her home. She continued to have problems but we could not afford to see a doctor. Her friend referred us to a Homeopathic Doctor. He treated her up until Michael was born about 4 in the afternoon May 8th 1967. We were told he was born with four heart defects, a hole between chambers and valve, a valve that didn't close properly and an abnormally small pulmonary aorta.

We took Michael home, the doctor told us he might grow out of the condition. Teresa remained sick, I took on two more part time jobs, pumping gas 5 nights a week, cooking in a small Italian restaurant one night a week, which I traded for a dinner for us on the night I was off work. We had some great neighbors, the Myers family, Mom and the girls helped us with Michael. Teresa got sick again and was admitted to the hospital in extreme pain and jaundice. They quarantined her as they thought she had Hepatitis, Michael came down with pulmonary pneumonia and he was hospitalized on the second floor, his mother on the forth floor under quarantine. It was a touch time for all of us. They finally got better and Teresa was diagnosed with an abnormally small gall bladder which made her sick. Michael recovered but he was always a happy child but remained weakneed by his heart condition. I bought a 4 door green 56 Chevy, on time from Sarge the Mechanic at the service station where I worked. Got a better paying job at Swift Meat Packing company and a paper route, with Michael and Teresa both sick and no insurance money was very tight. I finally paid off the car $250.00, so at least we had good transportation if anything bad happened.

Teresa had another Gall Bladder attack and I took her to Tampa General for help as they had said if she had another attack she would need her gall bladder removed. They refused to admit her as we didn't have insurance or a private doctor. I told them I would pay some each week if they would help her. They told me I made $5.00 too much a week for them to help her. However, If I quit my job they would do it. I said, you won't help me unless I quit my job and my family to become a leech on society! Yes, was there response. I got fighting mad I told them to take their hospital and their welfare and stick it where the sun didn't shine. I took Teresa home went to work told my plant supervisor that I wanted to take her back to Nashville. He said, he would arrange for me to have a job at the Swift plant in Nashville when I got there as I was in the Union.

We got back to Nashville and stayed with my Aunt and Uncle until we could find a place. Well there was no job waiting for me, Teresa had another Gall Bladder attack the first of November. I took her to Vanderbilt, they transferred her to Nashville General Hospital. They wired Tampa for medical records and removed her Gall Bladder. I didn't have money for gas for the car with no job. My parents separated in the mean time and we took in two of my baby sisters, Carol and Christine. We had rented a duplex just before Teresa got out of the hospital. Teresa was on the mend, we found a good pediatrician for Michael, then I got a prostrate infection and Christmas was around the corner. Lot of mouths to feed no job, sick wife and son, plus two sisters. I walked out in the woods nearby cut a cedar tree brought it home we strung popcorn and made paper chains and snowflakes to put on the tree. Christmas day came a Big Brothers left a basket of food on our door step. We were so thankful and blessed!

The next week a neighbor gave me a newspaper I found an advertisement for a job at a houseboat factory about 10 miles away. I took the ads and started walking it was snowing pretty good when I left to see if I could get the job. I had walked about 6 miles when a nice gentleman stopped and ask where I was headed. I told him to get a job, he said, "get in and I will take you there." I said, sir, I'm all wet up to my knees I don't want to get your car wet and all. He said, Don't worry about the car just get in out of the weather. He dropped me off at the location I went in and ask to see about the job in the newspaper. The lady said, just one moment. Out came a gentleman, I told I came for the job listed! He said, I'm sorry son I already hired someone, well I thanked him and started out the door. He said, wait just a minute, anyone who will walk in this weather for a job deserves one, your hired! I was tickled to death and Blessed again.

Thinks got better, the girls went home to Mom and Pop, Teresa got a job and we rented a furnished garage apartment, I got a better job at Nashville Bridge on second shift and a second job during the day, Teresa got a job with a insurance company. We told the doctor Michael was getting weak and turning blue when he ate his meals, the doctor said he would schedule test at Vanderbilt with a heart specialist. Two days before Michael was to enter the hospital I fell and hit my head admitted to a different hospital as I had temporarily lost the use of my right leg and arm for about ten minutes. It seemed like every time I thought we were on the upswing something else happened. Teresa, came to see me, I told her to take care of Michael. My Neurosurgeon  doctor shot x-ray die into the left side of my brain and it felt like he poured hot boiling water in it. The test came out clear, didn't have any tumors or blood clots, he put me on strong pain meds, he wouldn't release me to go back to work or drive. Michaels, God mother Janet Johnson would drive me to the hospital to see Michael so Teresa could go home to bathe and change clothes.

Michaels first birthday was at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital, all the nurses loved him as he would flirt with them and he was a very happy baby. They had a birthday party for him, he got lots of stuffed animals and toys! He was so happy, later that evening the doctor came in and told us that Michael would need surgery when he was about 5 years old as he looked so healthy they wanted to wait until he was stronger. About that time Michael was eating while the doctor was talking and he saw Michael turn blue and slump over! He said, I am so sorry I thought that you were over exaggerating his condition when he ate. We need to schedule surgery quickly. That was May 8th 1968, Michael passed away during surgery on May 10th 1968. It about killed me as he was laughing and happy when I handed him to the surgeon..............His funeral was on Mothers Day, our lives forever changed and it was the worst day and time of my life. About 4 months later my wife and I divorced, through hard work we had bought a newer car and furniture. When Teresa filed for a divorce, I went home packed my clothes in a box and left her a note that everything was hers and didn't contest the divorce.    

 I went to live with a friend and his wife, Buddy and Sandy Shelton for a while. I got a job during the day and babysat their daughter at night as they both worked second shift at the hospital. One night Sandy's mother had the baby and depression overwelmed me. I took Buddy's shot gun out in the back yard as the heartache pain was  so great I felt I could not go on. I placed the barrel of the shotgun in my mouth but my arms were too short to reach the trigger, I pulled it out and started to look for a stick in the dark. A voice in my head said,  "your son would not be proud of you if you do this." I sat and weeped in the dark and took the gun back in the house. God had a plan for me and that is why no matter how many times I am knocked to my knees and lose everything, I will never ever give up! I will continue to develop products for the good of my fellow man in any way I can!

There were many others to help along the way but this was especially hard for us. I Thank You God for your many Lessons and Blessings you have bestowed upon me in my life. I hope this will maybe help someone see there is a life after tragedy. God has a plan for you NEVER, EVER GIVE UP!   LIFE CAN BE TOUGH BUT YOU WILL SURVIVE!